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A dental bib may have multiple uses in dental practice. Primarily, a dental bib is employed to protect a patient's garments from liquid and/or solid debris generated during a dental procedure. Further, a dental bib may be used to wipe a patient's face and mouth during or at the completion of surgery. Finally, a dental bib may be used by a dentist to clean the liquid and/or solid debris from dental instruments.
Dental bibs may be designed employing a variety of materials, constructions, and features. A prevalent dental bib design comprises an apron in combination with a means of securing the apron in position over the patient's chest.
Typically, dental bibs are disposable, and constructed of one or more absorbent paper plies in combination with a waterproof plastic ply backing. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,836, Morris discloses a dental bib suggesting a bib material comprising a layer of paper toweling for absorbency with a plastic film backing for moisture protection. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,836,518, Bloom et al. disclose a dental bib wherein the main body portion comprises an absorbent side and a waterproof side.
Dental bibs may be held in place, generally covering the chest of a patient, by any of a number of means. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,773, Stemmer discloses a dental bib comprising a multi-layer paper section backed by a plastic sheet to form a rectangular panel. A pressure-sensitive adhesive, which provides an attachment to the patient's clothing, is disposed on three corners of the plastic back and permits the towel to be disposed over the chest to form a shield. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,365, Surprise et al. disclose a disposable bib with an integral, elasticized neckband. U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,849 to Lansing et al. discloses a dental bib holder comprising spring clips mounted at either end of a flexible strap, the flexible strap being positioned about the back of a patient's neck, and the clips being attached to a dental bib. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,036, Paulsen discloses a disposable bib that is secured around the neck of the patient via magnets.
One disadvantage inherent to conventional dental bib designs is their limited usefulness for cleaning dental instruments. The paper layer(s) of a conventional dental bib lacks the bulk and softness of texture necessary to clean and/or polish a dental instrument. Due to this disadvantage, a dentist may typically be required to interrupt the dental procedure in order to grasp a piece of gauze, clean and/or polish the dental tool with the piece of gauze, dispose of the piece of gauze, and then resume the dental procedure.
Another disadvantage inherent to conventional dental bib designs is their limited usefulness for capturing solid debris generated during a dental procedure. The paper layer(s) of a conventional dental bid lacks the bulk and/or physical features necessary to capture solid debris. Here, again, a dentist may typically be required to interrupt the dental procedure in order to grasp a piece of gauze, capture the solid debris with the piece of gauze, dispose of the piece of gauze, and then resume the dental procedure.
What is needed is a new dental bib design that combines the capacity of gauze to capture solid debris and to clean and polish dental instruments with the capability of conventional dental bib to protect a patient's garments from liquid debris during a dental procedure.